Until recently, China's giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population had not been surveyed for over two decades. In the 1980s, the wild panda population was estimated to be about 1100 individuals.

But recently, a comprehensive survey has revealed that there are now nearly 1600 pandas in the wild. This latest survey, which took four years to complete, was intended to account for every individual through a combination of field observation and GPS technology.

Find out more:

• New Survey Reveals Nearly 1,600 Giant Pandas in the Wild (WWF)
• Panda Survey Helps Create New Generation of Conservationists (WWF)
• Giant Panda Survey 2004 (WWF)